Pauline J. Yao is an independent curator and writer based in Hong Kong and the former Lead Curator, Visual Art at M+, Hong Kong. Since joining the M+ curatorial team in 2012, Yao played an integral role in shaping the museum’s vision and building the museum’s collection by acquiring works of art from East Asia, Southeast Asia and internationally. During her tenure at M+ she organized the inaugural display of visual art Individuals, Networks, Expressions in 2021, and numerous other projects such as M+ Sigg Prize Exhibition (2025, with Ariadne Long); Lee Mingwei: Sonic Blossom (2024); Pipilotti Rist: Hand Me Your Trust (2023); Antony Gormley: Asian Field (2021); and Five Artists: Sites Encountered (2019). She is currently Adjunct Lecturer at School of the Art Institute of Chicago and serves as chair of the collection committee of the Shanghai-based De Ying Foundation. Yao is a regular contributor to Artforum International and her writings on contemporary Asian art have appeared in numerous catalogues, online publications, and edited volumes.